Game



Oct. 23, 1934. N. ROBIN 1,977,894

GAME

Filed Sept. 21, 1933 Sheets-Sheet l A 5 3 0 Q 4 I O .5 z O g L Li Z 2 19 1 I, Q W m i a i 7 K23 e 1M! 2 72 eases r [72 men for ZZaf/zarz Rob in N. ROBIN Oct. 23, 1934.

GAME

Filed Sept. 21. 195:5

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I77 vefi for 7262?]? an Robin, M

dig/s.

N. ROBIN Oct. 23, 1934.

GAME

Filed Sept. 21, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 [72 1/62? for Uaf/zarz Rabi/2 Patented Oct. 23, 1934 UNITEDSTA This invention relates to game devices of the class having a table surface with obstacles and ball receiving pockets and a runway at one side from which balls are projected by means of a .5 manually controlled spring actuated plunger.

An object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism for differentially actuating movable objects mounted on the table according to the location of the pockets or apertures 10. through which the projected balls may drop. Other objects of the invention are to provide for effecting any desired stepby-step motion of the movable objects and finally restoring such objects to a starting position and'tensioning actuating f springs therefor. l The objects of the invention are accomplished by means of a construction as illustrated by the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the device. v Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section as indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view to show the arrangement of restoring mechanism for the differentially movable objects. I

cated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 5.

Fig; 5 .is an enlarged longitudinal fragmentary section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig.1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail as indicated by the line 66 on Fig. 9, and illustrates a stop means of the differ- Fig. 8 is a sectional detailillustrating tension ing means for guide wires along which. the movable objects travel.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on line 9- 9"of Fig. 4 and showing the object restor turning balls lifting trips 17 which maybe the 1 bent and inclined ends of the rods 16. The'trips ing mechanism and spring tensioning means.

Fig. 10, Sheet 1, is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing invelevation one of the differentialcontrolling means theree e p p. w the apertures 5. The machine to WhiCh-thiS application for 1y movable figures and for.

patent is directed consists mainly of a frame structure having an inclinedtable with provision for guiding in slots in the table top; a plurality of racing figures'such as horses or yachts,.andmechanism for controlling the motion of said fig-* ures different distances along the s1ots'-accord-= Fig. 4 is a fragmentarysectional detail as indiin, elevation ing to the manner in which the ball travels when projected from the raceway. A table is provided 7 with apertures through which the balls may drop and roll back to a receiver. Trip mechanism is operated by the returning balls to release the spring actuated figures which then travel along the slots into engagement with stopping devices. These stopping devices are under the control of the trip mechanism so that succeeding impulses may be imparted to the moving figures.

The construction as illustrated comprises a frame or casing 1 supporting'the table top 2 and housing the operating mechanism mounted upon the under side of the table. The table isprovided witha plurality of longitudinal slots 3 through which project the movable objects 4 which are operated differentially along the slots in playing the game. These objects are raced Es ere-r OFFICE with one another from end to end of the slots of casing 1 provides a starting runway 8 "-for balls through aperthe balls. The casing 1 projects upwardly from r the surface of the table around'its circumference. The balls are projected along the raceway by means of plunger 9 which may be drawn back by the knob 10 to compress its actuating spring which is located in the sleeve 11'. The figures, which are slidablymounted in the slots 3, may be on the order of that illustrated by Figure 5, and are guided along the spaced and tensioned wires 12 which extend longitud inally-of the machine below the top 2.; These-.' figures are urged to travel along the slots by spiral springs within and for driving the drums I 13. Wires Mextending from the figures to'rt he drums, are wound upon the drums inthe process ofdrawing thefigures along the slots towards the front of the machine. These figures are retainedin the starting position by means of-one of the dogs 15 which are carried upon oscillating rods 16, Figure 6. The rods are oscillated by re;

are in the paths provided by the half round ball receiving channels 18 which are located beneath When a ball drops through one of'the apertures 5'it rolls down one of the inclined-channels 18 and e'ngagesthe inclined ends 17. of a rod 16 andlifts the end of the rod,thereby rocking the i clear of the support '21 for one of the objects 4, and allows the object to ratchet forward slightly until stopped by stop arm 22 of the same dog 15. Then when the restoring spring 33, Fig. 6-A, for rod 16 rocks the rod back to its initial position, the movable object is drawn forwardly until it is stopped by the next dog 15 on the same rod. The means for actuating the movable figures 4 are the spring drums 13, one of which is shown in Figure 9. as connected with its cor-.

responding figure support 21 by a wire 14.

The restoring of figures 4 to starting position is effected by a transverse bar 23 carried by'a frame 24, which is slidable along the central rod 25 supported in frame brackets 26 and 2'7. 7

The restoring bar 23 is normally held in the right hand position, Fig. 9, by spring drum 28, which is connected to the bar frame 24 by steel band 29 and in restoring is drawn along the rod 25 against the action of the spring drum by.

means of a steel band 30 encircling a pulley drum 31 andsecured thereto. The drum 31 is rotated togivethe desired restoring motion to bar 23 by means of a small pulley 32secured to the drum to rotate therewithand connected by a steel band 3 34 with aslide member 35. After operations of 39. Bar 39 is first pushed inwardly and slides the bar 38 far enough to permit dog 37 to engageaperture 40 in slide bar 35, then bya reverse motion imparted to the manually operated slide 39 the bar 35 is drawn forwardly and through its .pulley connections, and connections to restoring -bar 23 returns the figures 4 to the starting position. .The outward pull on bar 39 is assisted by spring 41, Fig. 3 and near the end of the stroke the tai142 of dog 37 engages the edge 43 of bracket 44 and the dog is disengaged from aperture 40 in slide 35 against the action of spring 45. The

spring drum 28 then returns the restoringbar 23 to its original position and reversely rotates drums 31 and 32, and the slide bar 35, being connected with drum 32 throughthe steel band 34,

isualso returned to normal position. 1

Movable with the slide bar 38, Fig. 9, is a bal retainer 46 which serves to release balls from the ends of channels 18 to a lower inclined runway 47. The motion is imparted to element 46 by 'a lug 48 on slide38 engaging a lug 49 on the element 46. The ballsare lifted from the trough member 47 one ata time and back into the runway 8 on top of the table by meansof a lifter 50,

The lifter 50 is an arm pivoted at 51 and movable against the action of spring 52. It serves to roll one ball at a time up a curved guideway 53 and-into engagement with a-spring 54-which, cams the ball through an opening-55 in partition. 6,: back into the runway 8. The lifteris operated -by a bent lever 5 6 provided with a handle 57 on the outside of the frame.

In the operationof'the game, assuming that the figures4 have been'differentially moved away fromthestarting position at. the left end of the slots 3, Fig. 1, it isfirst necessary to restore the figures; This is accomplished by pushinginwardly'on the coin controlled slide 39 and then drawing the slide .outwardly'to" its normal P sition. When the slide is in its innermost position the dog 37 on slide bar 38 movable with the slide 39, drops into notch 40 of slide bar 35 and then when bar 39 is pulled back to its original position the dog carries the slide 35 with it. The slide bar 35 being connected through steel band 34, pulleys 32 and 31, and steel band 30 with the restoring bar 23, the latter is shifted along the guide rod 25 andpushes the figure supports 21 back to the starting position. .At the same time the movement of the bar 23 through the steel band 29 tensions the spring in drum. 28. The spring drums 13 are also at the same time tensioned because of the wire connections 14 between the movable figures and these drums.

At the endof the restoring stroke when the movable figures 4 are all latched in the starting position by one of thepawls 15, the tail 42 of pawl 37 engages the edge of frame element 44, Fig.9, and releases the slide 35 which is then carried back to its normal position with the restoring bar 23 by action of the spring in drum 28 which is connected with the restoring bar.

The mechanism is. now conditioned for playing the game. The halls are lifted one at a time by lever 57 into the runway -8 and are propelled from this runway by the spring actuated plunger 9.

When one of the balls drops through an aperture 5 itis received by one of the channels 18 and rolls down the channel toward the rear tr j l h 47 until stopped; by plate 46. Before leaving the channel 18-it engages and lifts one of the bent ends 17 of a rod 16. The rod is rocked by such engagement sufiiciently to cause the retaining stop 15 at the end of therod to release one of the figures and permit the figure to be drawn forwardly by a spring, in one of the drums 13, until the figure is stopped by another stop ale-1 ment 15 onthe same red, the rod having in the meantime been returned to its original setting by spring 33, Fig. 6A.

In this manner any one or moreof the figures may be caused to successively move step by step along the slots 3 from the starting position toward the finish line. When the figures are again restored the used balls are permitted to drop into the retaining trough 47 by. moving the palte 46 out of the way, and this is accomplished by lug 48 on theslide member 38, Fig. 9, engaging the lug 49 on the slidable plate 46. -The balls then come intoa position where they may be lifted one at a time back to runway 8 by means of the lifting element 50, Fig. 6,operated by lever 57.

Although but one specific embodiment cross tabletop havingiball receiving perforations and having a plurality of parallel slots therein, figures projecting through said slots and arranged for movement along the slots, means for driving the figuresalong the slots, and means actuated by" balls passing through said perforations for differentiallycontrolling the operation of said means for driving the figuresalong the slots.

2. Ina game apparatusof the'class described,

a framestru'cture including a table top, means for propelling balls over said tabletop, apertures inthe table top for receiving the balls, a plurality of oscillating shafts located beneath the table top, means positioned to be engaged by balls passing through said apertures for oscillating said shafts, stop devices carried by said shafts, differentially movable figures mounted for movement over said table top as controlled by said stops, and springs for individually actuating said figures.

3. A game apparatus of the class described having a frame structure including a table top with means for propelling balls thereover, said table top having ball receiving perforations and a plurality of parallel slots therein, figures projecting through said slots and arranged for movement along the slots, means for differentially driving the figures along the slots, means actuated by balls passing through said apertures for controlling the operation of said means for differentially moving the figures along the slots, and restoring means for said figures, said restoring means including reciprocable slide elements one of which is provided with a pawl for engaging and operating another slide element onlyupon full predetermined strokes of the pawl carrying slide element.

4. In a game apparatus of the class described, a frame structure including a table top, a plurality of figures mounted for differential movement along said table top, springs for actuating said figures, stop mechanism for controlling the movement of said figures, and ball actuated means for controlling the operation of said stop mechanism.

5. In a game apparatus of the class described, a frame structure including a table top, a plurality of figures mounted for diiferential movement along said table top, springs for actuating said figures, stop mechanism for controlling the movement of said figures, and ball actuated means for controlling the operation of said stop mechanism, said stop mechanism including a pluralityof oscillating shafts having arms which when engaged bya ball cause the oscillation of said shafts.

6. In a game apparatus of the class described, a frame structure including a table top, a plurality of parallel race ways extending along said table top, a plurality of figures movable along said ways, springs for moving said figures, retaining means for said figures, and ball actuated means for operating said retaining means to release the figures.

'1. In a game apparatus of the class described, a frame structure including a table top over which balls may be propelled, said table top having apertures through which balls may fall, trip mechanism in position to be operated by balls which have fallen through said apertures, movably mounted figures and springs'for actuating said figures, said trip mechanism being arranged to release and control the movement of said figures, a reciprocable restoring element for said figures, means for actuating said reciprocable restoring element comprising a manually operated slide member and motion multiplying pulleys between said manually operated slidemember and said restoring element, and a spring for returning said restoring element.

, NATHAN ROBIN. 

